football

Agencies Liverpool stumbled in the title race on Saturday, dropping two crucial points in a 1-1 draw at home to Tottenham Hotspur. Liverpool reached the Champions League final on Tuesday with victory over Villarreal but the mood was gloomy as they were unable to ratchet up the pressure on Manchester City at Anfield, Reuters reported. They had won their last 12 Premier League home games and were unbeaten at Anfield in the league for 14 months but trailed to Son Heung-min's 56th-minute goal. Son's 20th league goal of the season looked like earning Tottenham the win they needed to move fourth but Luis Diaz equalised with a deflected shot in the 74th minute. Liverpool moved provisionally top with 83 points from 35 games with City also on 83 from 34 games. Reigning champions...

Agencies Barcelona booked their place in next season's Champions League thanks to Jordi Alba's stunning volley deep into injury time to secure a 2-1 win over Real Betis. Barca took the lead when Ansu Fati, just off the bench, shot into the bottom corner from the edge of the box in the 76th minute. However, former Barca defender Marc Bartra leveled the score for Betis just three minutes later. Alba then volleyed in Dani Alves' cross four minutes into the stoppage time. According to the BBC, Barcelona players gave their Real Betis counterparts a guard of honour before kick-off following the hosts' recent Copa del Rey win over Valencia. It was an entertaining game with Ronald Araujo's header tipped onto the bar by Betis keeper Rui Silva, and Betis' Guido Rodriguez striking th...

Agencies World football governing body FIFA on Thursday confirmed that the intercontinental playoffs for the World Cup will be played at Doha's Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium on June 13-14. Asian rivals Australia and the United Arab Emirates meet in a playoff at the same venue on June 7, with the winner to meet Peru on June 13. Reuters reported that the winner of the Peru clash goes into Group D with world champions France, Denmark and Tunisia. Costa Rica play Oceania champions New Zealand on June 14 for the final place at the World Cup in November and December, with the winner to slot into Group E with Spain, Germany and Japan. Both the intercontinental playoffs kick off at 9:00 p.m. local time.

Agencies Real Madrid fought back from the brink of elimination to beat Manchester City 3-1 after extra time and 6-5 on aggregate in an enthralling and dramatic Champions League semi-final on Wednesday. According to Reuters, City led 1-0 on the night and 5-3 on aggregate when Riyad Mahrez scored after 73 minutes but Real substitute Rodrygo equalised in the last minute of normal time and headed home one minute later to level the tie at 5-5. Five minutes into extra time Karim Benzema converted a penalty awarded for a foul on him by Ruben Dias and Real, the record 13-times European champions, held the shell-shocked English side at bay to reach the final. Real will play Liverpool on May 28 in Paris, a repeat of the 2018 final in Kyiv which the Spanish team won 3-1. It was an...

Agencies Russia's national football team and the country's club sides have been banned from European competition next season, UEFA said on Monday. Russia's bid to host the Euro 2028 or the Euro 2032 tournaments have also been declared ineligible, Reuters said citing the Switzerland-based governing body said. UEFA said it decision to rule Russia out as a host followed its regulations that each bidder should "not act in a manner that could bring UEFA, the UEFA final or UEFA final phase, any other bidder the bidding procedure or European football into disrepute." UEFA and world football governing body FIFA had already suspended Russia's national teams and clubs from international football until further notice due to the country's invasion of Ukraine.

Agencies Liverpool survived a first-half scare to reach the Champions League final with a 3-2 win at Villarreal on Tuesday, for a 5-2 aggregate victory. According to Reuters, the visitors fell 2-0 down with an insipid first-half performance before fighting back with three goals in a 12-minute spell after the break to advance to their third European Cup final in five seasons. The Premier League side had won 2-0 in England but the hosts pegged them back with goals from Boulaye Dia and Francis Coquelin. Liverpool, however, came out transformed after halftime and goals from Fabinho, Luis Diaz and Sadio Mane sealed the deal, with Villarreal ending the match with 10 men following a late red card for Etienne Capoue. The victory has kept Liverpool’s hopes of winning an unpreced...

By a Staff Reporter Kathmandu - Ten footballers expelled from the closed camp training have submitted a written note to the All Nepal Football Association regarding the dispute with chief coach Abdullah Al Mutairi. Footballer Rohit Chand on behalf of the players handed over the memorandum to ANFA General Secretary Indraman Tuladhar on Monday. Meanwhile, ANFA Players Association has demanded a probe into the dispute between players and the chief coach. The players’ association president Bikram Lama also handed over a letter to ANFA General Secretary Tuladhar demanding investigation. “We are deeply saddened by the news that ten of us allegedly fled from the training camp of national football team preparing for the AFC Asian Cup. We learnt this from the media. Playing for the...

By a Staff Reporter Kathmandu - Chief coach of Nepal’s national football team, Abdullah Al Mutairi has written a letter to ANFA General Secretary Indra Man Tuladhar regarding the dispute with players. Players of the national football team had organized a press conference last Thursday accusing the chief coach of forcing them to leave the training camp over a disputed topic. However, Chief Coach Al Mutairi wrote in the letter that the players left the training camp without any prior notice. He also wrote that he was really saddened by the press conference organized by the players. Al Mutairi further said that he does not hold any grudges against the players and has also requested ANFA not to take any action against them. He also said that he wishes to continue his role as the ...

Agencies Carlo Ancelotti became the first manager to win the league in all five of Europe's major leagues as Real Madrid beat Espanyol 4-0 to win La Liga on Saturday with four matches left. According to the BBC, two goals from Rodrygo and strikes from Marco Asensio and Karim Benzema confirmed Real's 35th Spanish title. They are 17 points clear of second-placed Sevilla with four games to play. Ancelotti has also won titles in Italy's Serie A, France's Ligue 1, the Premier League in England and the German Bundesliga. Real needed only a draw to win the title, but victory was never really in doubt once Rodrygo stroked home from just inside the area. The Brazilian doubled Real's lead a minute before the break when he robbed Sergi Gomez of possession on the edge of the penalt...

Agencies Manchester City produced the perfect response to Premier League title rivals Liverpool by outclassing Leeds United 4-0 to regain top spot. According to the British media, City needed the win after Liverpool had overtaken them earlier in the day with victory at New Castle and they produced a highly impressive display on Saturday. The reigning Premier League champions went ahead in the 13th minute when Rodri glanced home Phil Foden's free-kick, the BBC reported. According to the news agency, while Leeds were spirited they barely tested visiting keeper Ederson until the game was lost. City doubled their advantage nine minutes after the break from another set-piece, Nathan Ake pouncing from close range when Foden's corner was headed down by Ruben Dias. Foden w...